Let's Reframe Mental Health

Why reframe mental health?

1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experience mental illness each year. 

1 in 25 adults in the U.S. experience serious mental illness each year. 

These 1 in 5 adults are…

you, me, and everyone we know.

Small and large life experiences speak to us exponentially if we allow ourselves to receive. Recognizing another’s state of mental health in a moment, or in general, is a skill we must hone to improve relationships of all kinds. The awareness that another’s experience is not the same as our own, plus improving our ability to walk in another’s shoes are required. The hope is to reframe our own individual experiences which will ultimately support reframing ‘mental health’ as holistic health - our whole health - collectively.

As we move out of this global Covid-19 experience, my bet is that the statistics will rise. Our entire country has been experiencing, at the very least, continual underlying anxiety that could easily manifest into some interesting expressions through our minds and bodies over time. Now more than ever, it is imperative to break this stigma and reframe “mental health” to instead reference our holistic health which includes all realms of life.

Without stigma, more people could release any shame around seeking support. 

The shame (watch this link to the end!) around our state of mental health can be more detrimental to our mental health than the experiences that brought on the shame! 

Much of our struggle comes down to shame. This is the root cause. This is how Eastern and Western philosophies differ in improving our health and wellbeing. In the West, the tendency is to slap a bandaid on the problem, usually in the form of a pill, rather than seek out the root cause.

Shame is the root cause. This includes shame around the inability to afford mental health support given for most, this type of service is not included within our health insurance policies. Yet time and time again, clients who use health insurance for not much else physically are unable to gain coverage for mental help.

And let’s be honest, due to the stigma around seeking help, spending that kind of cash to go deep into the support that is far from fun, but necessary, is not a natural tendency in a society that now runs on instant gratification in every moment in every realm of life. 

Why go deep into ourselves when we can just “swipe right”?

Life is challenging. 

Yet as a species, we have evolved. We are all much more aware than previous generations of imprinting we picked up along the way that may not be serving our progression. It’s okay. We should be able to consciously discuss our experiences with our loved ones sans the shame train!

But keeping up appearances individually and within family systems still takes precedant, especially in the age of Instagram. The desire to make life better should not be one cloaked in shame. 

Enjoying life is our birthright.

From a newfound grounded, neutral, integrated place, we can then better recognize in one another that our more reactive or out-of-balance states are stemming from imprinting and not to be taken personally. We can then sit in the “hot seat”, speak our truths, and hear out another’s with conscious awareness that both parties are seeking interdependent progression.

Crafting the ability to hold space and even just assume that the other party also wants life to be better takes a lot - time, energy, space, dedication, money (more often than not), willingness to cultivate an overall less reactive state of being in oneself, and heartfelt desire. Phew.

We pick up imprints along the way and then create our individual strategies for no other reason than because we are human. This means you, me and everyone we know. Our families, caregivers, teachers, friends, and really any experience, large or small, that left an impact on us in any way, are all part of the concoction that makes up the human cocktail.

The parts lesser known are those that sit deep within our subconscious. Imprinting also includes modeled behavior - how all of our caregivers carried their own energy due to their own experiences with their caregivers, as well as how they all interacted with one another in our presence.

Whether it’s anxiety, depression, unresolved trauma, sleep issues, intrusive thoughts, eating anxieties, compulsiveness, control tendencies, or even “high-performance” - these can all be expressions of coping strategies we need to feel safe, secure, loved, or even to survive in varying degrees dependent on our individual situations.

This is why mental illness is deemed the “invisible illness”. It is not tactile and can even appear in disguise as what society deems to be a positive trait. It’s also usually not spoken of, keeping it taboo much like money or sex, rather than being an important part of our holistic health conversation. It is imperative that “mental illness” be brought into the light in order for all of us to live fully expressed lives.

As much as folks may dislike the “woo woo”, I will say it again and again… 

Everything is connecteD.

the ripple effect is real.

Hurt people, hurt people.

The trauma might be small, but sometimes the imprint is large and can affect every step of a person’s life including everyone they touch.

“Acting out”, whether from a teenager or 50-year old, is really just a sign of our lesser-loved or lesser-acknowledged qualities (our shadow) sitting in the subconscious keeping us from what we truly desire. Working with the subconscious, we are better able to integrate our shadows and improve life. This work, shadow work, is not for the faint at heart. But I can assure you that shadow work - works.

Modalities such as yoga and meditation can help begin this process. They support us in many ways, but in regard to the subconscious, they encourage the building of new neural pathways in our brains. Gradually, we release old patterns by creating new ones. Hypnosis, breathwork (pranayama and modern extensions of pranayama), and many more “out of the box” modalities and therapies can help break through the toughest barriers.

What makes me some so-called expert?

I know because I have used all modalities previously mentioned, including coaches, therapists and mentors, plus a handful of waaaaaay out of the box avenues for a couple of decades. (I also self-taught and practiced as much as possible because this shit gets expensive.) Then, and only then, did I move through several certifications to continually learn, hone my skills, and share with others. This doesn’t mean I have everything figured out. It definitely doesn’t mean I’m anywhere near perfect. But thankfully, the need to be perfect (sitting in the recesses of my own mind) in order receive love has been (mostly) kicked to the curb.

Essentially, this only means I have self-supported myself through some incredibly challenging times as a 100% self-made female since my formative years in America. I didn’t grow up in a family system that experienced much of their own necessary emotional/physcial/financial support. Therefore, this was not modeled for me in order to successfully model it for anyone else. I had to own my stuff and get to work. (Don’t get me wrong, I have lovely parents and my basic needs were exceeded.)

When it comes to walking this path of reframing and repatterning our own holistic health, it’s much like finding the right yoga teacher, with all of his/her nuances, that work specifically for us. This, too, will change with time! Same goes for this deeper work. Over time, we try different tools, technologies and techniques to reach and transmute what is not only buried deep in the subconscious, but also deep within our physical bodies. Another topic - the body does not lie.

It is imperative we try different therapies and healing modalities to continually integrate what we find. Here’s hoping the healthcare system will someday catch up to suit our current state of affairs, our ever-increasing rate of evolution, and public health.

It is possible to reframe mental health.

Like everything, it is not black and white. But I’m opening the conversation to reframe “mental health” to “holistic health”. I speak from my own experiences within my family and intimate relationships, and happy to share.

Tell me your story and I will tell you mine.

After what we’ve been through so far in 2020, the entire world needs support. The time to normalize the ever-shifting states of our mental health, and those who work tirelessly to support this work, is now. 

This is call for all of us to continue to step into our worth, own our stories, tell our stories, and share what we’ve learned with the world.

Who Really Knows How to Handle Loss and Grief?

Sharing this story is far from comfortable, but there is a requirement in my line of work called “Walk the Talk”. Loss and grief are no joke. If this reaches and supports just one person, no matter what side of the equation they are on, then I’ll consider it worth it. 

In my case, synchronicity showed itself as a few friends reached out during my compounded traumatic experiences of loss and grief asking how they could best support their significant other through loss of immediate family members.

I thought, “Wow. This is really up for me.” Not only was I still moving through it, but now I was also being challenged to somehow channel support and advice for those close to myself and my significant other. Just wow. Probably didn’t slay that task at the time.

See this quick list to better understand what your significant other might be experiencing and need.

Most people will turn away from loss and grief toward what is far more inviting – which is pretty much anything and everything else, right? But the funny thing is, we will all experience loss and grief at some point. It will come in varying degrees, but it will come. If we turn away from someone experiencing one of the Top 10 stress-inducing happenings in life, who will we turn to when it’s our turn?  

Learning through multiple compounded experiences, I can say that just one of these 10 stressors is difficult. And that when a few of these are layered and consolidated into a short intense time period, people around us may disappear. Our life trajectory may be forever altered. Sounds dramatic? Yep. It is.

Know that it is not you. Forgiveness is the way forward. 

Where I grew up, sharing personal stories might be classified as “airing dirty laundry”. No wonder everyone is on pills, weed, booze, porn, TV, Instagram, politics, numbing, numbing and more numbing. Coming out of the Industrial Age, and now beginning to move out of the uber “connected” Information Age, many people still refuse to face responsibility. Perhaps stating the obvious for some but being in any type of relationship includes responsibility. As humans, guess what, we are in relationship every dang day. As we move into the next multisensory age, it’s beyond time we hold ourselves accountable.

Unfortunately, many of us grew up in families where talking about anything confronting was avoided completely. This, of course, becomes learned behavior handed down unconsciously from those before us. This lack of communication skills and/or willingness to talk about less than comfortable topics only drives disconnection. As we move into this upcoming multisensory era, boy are we going to be in for some surprises.

The good news is, this can be avoided. Like anything, it takes time and commitment. Not the kind one can schedule on a calendar or time with a stopwatch. Committing to take time to learn, understand, process, give and receive support, and be with what is. It’s a multi-layered process. It can move slowly. It can move quickly. Ask me how.

As a qualitative researcher and storyteller, Brene Brown famously delivered her talk on vulnerability at TedX almost a decade ago. Her research shows that this sharing of truth and vulnerability is what drives connection. 

I also hear her loud and clear when she says, “Not everyone deserves to hear your story.” Living in our truth becomes walking a fine line. Boundaries are essential. We feel this bigtime when we are asked in the wellness world to “walk the talk”. Eeeek.

Doing this “right” is essentially impossible. As they say, yoga teachers are people, too. We are teaching as we learn, and we are learning as we teach. 

Equally, there is no “right” way in a certain amount of “right” time to move through loss and grief. We are human after all. Yet those close to us may attempt to tell us that we are playing victim, not taking responsibility for ourselves, talking too much about feelings (yeah I know, it sucks!) or pressure us immensely to move through the process far too quickly so that things can “get back to normal”. 

But take a good hard look at that person’s upbringings, backgrounds, life path and current realities. Not to mention – have they experienced true loss? This is not about comparison, but to simply notice whether they are coming from - an authentic place in offering opinions (or judgements) – or not. 

We don’t know how people will react to loss and grief until we are sitting in the eye of the hurricane with them. We experience the trauma. Then everything becomes very calm, silent, yielding. However, we sense that the storm is far from over.

In the eye of the storm, it feels like nothing. Everything is numb.  
The people closest to us may not see us. 
They may not hear us.
Over and over. 
Know that it is not you. 
They may want us to snap out of it, get on with it, be “fun” again.

They may judge us, pressure us, and cajole us toward what they perceive we should be doing and how we should be doing it.

They may have ideas about how we should be acting, how quickly we should be making life happen despite this major event (or three), and of course the best way to do, well, everything! 

Why? Because they somehow magically see oh so clearly how we should be moving forward. Frustrating at the time, but with time we gain clarity.

Know that it is not you.

The truth is that they are uncomfortable. This is partly projection. It could perhaps be partly due to lack of empathy depending on the people involved. It could also be a complete unwillingness to be with what is. Some people are also truly empathic or highly sensitive and even indirect trauma can be too much. 

But this is also life! 

As the person going through the loss, this is where we are supposed to find forgiveness. In all transparency, my natural reaction - again - was “F*CK!”.

With time, the best I have been able to come up with is that I, too, have not been in their shoes. They may hold a fear of death. They may have never taken a few moments to consider how this huge event is affecting the person directly related to the loss rather than themselves. There is a good chance they are coming up against themselves in ohhhh so many ways.

Shadows will be revealed. We can run, but we can never hide from our shadows.

The significant other, family, friends, and even co-workers, may have a few lessons of their own to face in this process as well. Shadows arise and we can run, but we can never hide. This is a process. This is a learning process.

This is life. 

Moving forward, we try to remember that everyone will eventually experience loss and grief. Everyone will have to face this shadow. The loss may not be as epic or consolidated into such a short period of time, but no one is immune. 

As much as it sounds completely crazy and unfair, this is an opportunity to love and forgive.

We take the opportunity to look at another and assume that they, too, are doing the best they can. We can only hope the same will be extended. Sure, this sounds outrageously mature and let’s be honest, most people will immediately think, “Screw that.” But here’s the deal… 

The prior examples of why people either run or stay/avoid are all possible. There are also other possibilities at play that take us further into the psychological realm than this article will allow. But briefly…

One example, becoming very prevalent today in many trauma-related situations, is that those who identify as “empathic” come up against intense events that lead them to avoid. In this, they may eventually learn they are not empathetic, but actually lean toward codependent. (Don’t miss this link with Mark Groves of Create the Love.) But we can be both. Nothing is black and white. Another conversation.

This huge loss just happens to be a very inconvenient truth that illuminates the empathic/codependent’s very own survival mechanisms learned and developed within their family of origin which is to ultimately take care of oneself masked in taking care of others. Being giving is awesome. Most of the time, this person has no idea that their actions are stemming out of their own survival mode. They are not conscious that their giving and always being the nice guy is ultimately self-serving. Essentially, this person is unable to function through conflict. Most of the time this is rooted in trauma. When we have unprocessed trauma, we will simply cannot cope. Unfortunately, they have sometimes even convinced themselves that they are fine. And they will try to convince the person that is actually experiencing trauma/loss/grief at the time that they are fine in manners that are highly covert. This is damaging, but an extension of the inability to hold space for another. No one is at fault. It just is what it is.

Most of us have trauma, known as Big and Small T’s.

However, it has also been discovered that even a small trauma can affect one person as deeply as a big trauma affects another. Often due to past unresolved trauma of our own as individuals or handed down through our ancestry. Either way, we can avoid it, but the next experience often sits waiting in the shadows right around the next corner to offer the opportunity to learn, understand and transmute what we attempted to escape from prior.

It really all comes down to cultivating resiliency. We can do this by dropping into modalities such as yoga, meditation, and breathwork. There is no “fixing”. We are not broken. There is only sticking with what is, working through it, and enjoying the beautiful life we have right at our fingertips.

Another common person we run into during our experience of loss and grief is the “stay positive” person. Again, this a coping mechanism of their own.

Telling someone to stay positive is soooo not the way to support someone through loss or any other traumatic event. 

They might also tell you, “You are strong. You will get through this.” Ignoring what someone is going through and turning away completely or turning the conversation to something positive and positively unrelated? Nope. When we are educated, we see right through this. Again, know that it is not you.

Check out this excellent four-minute video: “How do you help a grieving friend?” 

I stood in a conversation with two family members only weeks after losing my younger sister where everyone agreed, “Well, at least you weren’t that close to her.” 

I just stood there. Frozen. No response could escape me. We were not the closest of siblings due to some basics such as: five years difference in age, never attended the same schools, her 20+ year illness and being completely different people with totally different fundamental beliefs. But this doesn’t make one love another any less. My brother and I were also completely blocked out of a lot of attempts to connect with her by codependent family members needing to be in control as the martyrs, saviors and heroes throughout her illness. This also included projections and blame for not being present. A no-win situation that leaves a person blinded with confusion. All of these archetypes at play can make for very complicated family systems. But again, this is life. Most of us have complicated family systems.

Circling back and zooming out on the entire situation, we foster forgiveness. 

The others were just trying to make the loss easier on themselves. The person closest to me even mentioned later on that he had finally gotten over his fear of death. While I was glad to hear this, I was simultaneously astonished and at a loss for words. I tried to remember, “It’s not about me.”

As Ram Dass says, “You wake up as you wake up.” 

In those moments, I had to channel full Namaste-mode in order to let it go and move on. Still numb, still feeling like I was trying to run through quicksand, still trying to meet and exceed unrealistic expectations under what other family members deemed as “formidable conditions”. In all transparency, the numbness likely helped immensely in being non-reactive.

Know that it is not you. 

The fine line we are attempting to walk is wondering when it should be about oneself, and when it should not be when experiencing loss and grief. Finding our way back to love and forgiveness is a tall task. 

My only advice at this point is to speak with professionals. Find a few coming from different backgrounds working in different modalities. Do not give up until you find the right mix. Do not put up with any pressure from anyone regarding how long it should take to move through the grieving process and get life back on track. Heads up. It may take a lot longer than you, and of course, they, hope.

Do:  Grieve deeply.

The responsibility of others, at minimum, is to gain an understanding about loss and grief. Google is right at our fingertips to find out anything one might need to know in a split second. Painfully obvious, but perhaps not at the time. Again, we try to remember that everyone is doing their best.

“Everyone grieves in their own time.”

This phrase is entirely accurate but also does not help. Action is required to handle what is emotionally unfinished due to death, estrangement or both.

The loss of an elder will always be significantly different than the loss of a lover or of a younger person. Even after experiencing losing several other people, this compounded loss was intense, different, and a lengthy recovery. One will never know or be able to relate unless it becomes part of their path, too. We can only hope those around us will eventually come around to understand that we, the people experiencing the loss, were doing the best we could, too. 

If you’ve experienced loss and are seeking support, I’ve got you. If your significant other is experiencing loss and grief, give them a break – for a good long while. Acknowledgment, probably more than once, is the key ingredient. Know that it will take time. Perhaps more time than is convenient, fun or easy. It is what it is.

Seek and Stay to Score Perfect Waves

Seekers - We Are Running Out of Time

Ever stop to notice that the endless seeking for something shiny, better, or new has only left you more lost than ever? Here's what’s likely happening.

We first world humans have a natural inclination to want more, be more, be better, and be perfect. When we encounter each new awakening of sorts, we might suddenly feel the need to run away and go on the now classic “journey”, seeking a way to "fix" ourselves. Welp. That will only get ya so far. The life of a seeker never ends. After a certain point, true magic transpires when we stay and face the waves breaking right in front of us. 

There is nothing wrong with us. We all have “stuff”.  

While important to seek resolutions to greater issues and ailments, we are not broken. What we are dealing with is simply the human condition. We all have this pesky “stuff”. And once we find one answer, there will always be another journey to arrive at the next answer. We all have pluses and minuses. We all mess up. No one is perfect. And time is a-wastin’.

Our generation has been fortunate to go on this journey of self-exploration. Even in the first world, most of our parents didn’t have this luxury. Expectations were to go to school, get married, and have kids in a time when the internet did not exist. Without easy access to information, life was simple as well as more challenging. Most people simply did not have the opportunity to indulge in self-discovery. 

Now we are now beginning to move past the information age. Today, many people are just beginning to “wake up”. We have evolved as a species. We have learned an awful lot about ourselves, our relationships, and how to grow and thrive in the world. We’ve learned how to make life better. 

But we are running out of time.

Without going into the insanity of what’s happening in the world today, if one has learned some things along the way, repaired and resolved the past as best as possible, there is good chance it’s time to step into action. Like, for real. This means, at bare minimum, an effort must be made to have actual conversations that need to be had, own what’s ours, and offer heartfelt apologies. There is no other way to repair and resolve. If we’ve at minimum attempted this whole shin-diggity-dang. Then awesome.

Side Note: This kind of stuff does not become resolved over text or email messages. There is not much neutralization of our nervous systems over messaging. Human connection, people. Face-to-face. Phone call, or hey face-time, if at a distance. Or we can choose to repeat the drama in the next similar situation rather than resolve it now. The choice is always ours. 

Time is Running Out

For those who have hit about 75% of finding peace within their individual issues, it’s time. It’s time to take responsibility. It’s time to stop running away. It’s time to share. It’s time to support. We need you now. Because time is running out.

With all that’s happening in the world, it’s been predicted that we have less than 30 years to turn this entire ship around. Our planet, politics, humanity – it’s all connected.  

There is simply no time left for endless journeys to fix ourselves, sitting in meditation for 30 years, or going on countless psychedelic trips to resolve our “stuff”. All of this continual work is important. But it’s time for action. 

What and how can you share now?

 There are so many ways! Large and small. They can be silent. They can be loud and proud.

            • Shift your career

            • Uphold industry pay standards + hold a pro-bono client

            • Start a true non-profit

            • Visual artists – let’s please tell more stories that matter!

            • Commune – with your loved ones, teams, and tribes

            • Smile at someone today

Even if we did eventually find a state-of-self somewhere near enlightenment, it is guaranteed someone somewhere will ruffle our feathers. When we are faced with situations that trigger us, instead of sitting with what is happening and dropping into heartfelt conversations so that we can repair, resolve, learn and evolve, we itch to run for the hills. And that is ok. This whole human thing is quite the experience. Words and events can be shocking to our systems. This happens when we have not resolved our “stuff”. But it’s ok! Do the work, acknowledge that itch, learn how to sit with what is happening, stay to receive the lesson, integrate it to move past it, repair the situation, resolve and evolve.

We have that prickly experience. We notice. We notice our impulses. We notice our choice of actions. We “woman up”. We “man up”. We learn. We progress. Within progression is where happiness and freedom await.

Initially, yes, we must turn within and begin to pay attention and cultivate an understanding around what is going on and how to handle being uncomfortable in our own skin. It can be terribly difficult to look at our truths. But this is the starting point.

With this newfound revelation, we might feel the urge to blow up our lives. And there is something to be said for that. Running away, quitting a career, divorce - change will happen all right. 

 But as they say, be careful what you wish for…

Taking these actions in a reactive state versus a resolved state usually only creates a ripple effect of more drama. Coming from a more neutral, grounded place, action might look like speaking with a therapist or coach. It might look like adding a daily meditation - and sticking with it. A handful of therapy appointments, a book and a course will not be a lifelong “fix”. There are a zillion opportunities online alone for continual efforts to observe, learn, understand, change, and transmute without destroying the good we already have been so lucky to find. Often, another human being who is already standing right next to us.

Of course, most of the time, even without an epic event. we simply become complacent. Other times, large and small traumas occur, yet we avoid. Fun must be put on pause which is way too inconvenient. So, we quit for what we think will be much more fun, fast and easy. The person next to us who we adore… oops… we forget our good fortune.

It’s not black and white. These scenarios are all overlap. The point is that we must seek. But we also must stay in order to evolve. Otherwise… we get to repeat. 

This path goes on forever. There is no such thing as a perfect life, a perfect wife, nor perfect wave. OK, well maybe a perfect wave. 

But how did we get to catch that perfect wave?!

We stayed out in the water! We didn’t get smacked and run back to the safe haven of the shore. We paddled our hearts out. We were smacked by close outs over and over. We almost drowned. We gulped so much saltwater that we puked. We paddled out again and again until our arms were limp. Then finally, ahhhh, we paddled, popped up, and found the flow. We all know, there is no other feeling like it.  

This is the luxury. We get to choose!

We choose to learn. Or we drop out, numb out (social media, the next muse, Netflix, cocktails, porn, sex, weed, Trump-ing), ghost the person or situation, point the finger, blame, project, and avoid. 

Now it’s easy to stay and avoid simultaneously which will also only lead to difficulties. But really sitting with what is happening, with healthy boundaries, plus tools and techniques to create a learning environment is where we flourish. Ask me.

Seeking is important. Seeking shows we are curious and motivated. At times, this is key. But once we hit about 75% - you guys - we have no time left for this level of self-involvement. There is no such thing as fixing. Perfection does not exist. There is too much work to be done. We all have endless talent to come together, collaborate and find greater ways to share what we have learned and make this planet a better place.

With all due respect, we all need to get over ourselves, drop the drama, and make real shift happen. Commit to those around you. Vow to seek and simultaneously stay with it. Love your people. Ride those waves. Tomorrow could be too late. 

Edited from original post in 2017 on jonimadere.com.

What Do You Do?

Life ebbs and flows. We can really only surf the waves of today, and every day, in each moment, of each day. The practices of yoga, meditation, and related offer options we may have never discovered previously. We learn that leaving old identities and attachments behind, the many labels and titles, is simply OK. Those labels and titles, at their roots, are simply something for the ego to identify with… something to which one can answer the question at parties, “What do you do?"

When we become more interested in who we ARE rather than what we DO, the truth unfolds and we can begin a path to inner and outer freedom. Might be fun. Might meet some challenges along the way.

Much like we avoid the yoga poses that we don’t like, often they are the ones we need to spend more time with to get to the root of the struggle, become strong and supple in both mind and body, access, understand, and “pose” even in the midst of a fiery asana practice. Taking that grounded and expanded “pose” off of the mat into real life, we are then able to have the difficult conversation with a coworker, take an absolute 111% honest look at oneself, truly hold space for another’s vulnerability and transparency, or what’s become an overused analogy, stay sane in Los Angeles traffic.

But the only way to release the old and walk into the new is to first access and then gain an understanding around those darker shadows of our psyche, where the mind goes in the midst of not only challenge, but one’s own realized and unrealized truths, in order to step into the lighter more playful side of life. Yep. Surfing today, every dang day.

Next time someone asks, "What do you do?"

Consider turning that question around, asking yourself, “Who are you?”

Who are “you", when it’s just you. No kids, no parents, no siblings, no personal life partner, no professional partners, no titles,  just “you".

Plenty of content out in the world on this with far too many masters to credit. 

But earlier this year, a friend turned me onto Eckhart Tolle’s book "A New Earth” which is an incredible revisit to this question, "What Do You Do?", and many more.

If you’re a podcast person, drop into his New Earth series with Oprah HERE.

Love What Comes Up

When something arises that we don’t want or don’t like, our tendency is to resist.

When I was growing up, like most of us, I didn’t know any better.

Did you?

What I’ve learned is to notice my reactions to what comes up. 

Now this isn’t always easy.

I have admittedly not yet learned the art of paying attention - every single time.

But pay attention. Notice if you are triggered. Ask yourself why. 

Creating awareness around reactions to anything that comes up improves life immensely. 

It’s an opportunity.

To learn from reactions.

Understand them. 

Own what is ours.

Take radical responsibility for our part.

Then make an effort to shift. 

Shift to that place of learning and gaining from an experience rather than resisting and running away.

We tend to cling to the way we want things to be, to control people and our experiences with them.

Instead, dropping into and sticking with an experience - as it is - allowing the rush of feelings and emotions to pass like waves - we find that usually something better awaits us on the other side.

Relax.

Love what comes up, whatever it is.

Listen to Your Body

If you have ever experienced mysterious body aches and pains, your body may be trying to tell you something. Are you listening?

Original Post: Fall 2017

I’ve encountered a few instances where my body was trying to talk to me. But I didn't listen. I kept going. I kept going because I wanted to and because I needed to in order to make life happen. Upbringing. Circumstances. Conditioning. Bills. We all have ‘em, yes?

The left side of my body, controlled by the right brain, first surprisingly screeched at me in 2011. An initially severe scenario, it has ebbed and flowed over time. With immense care, I am still working through the final stages of transmuting it today. Awareness, understanding, and practicing the rituals that allow shift to occur are a part of everyday life. 

My Rolfing Structural Integration practitioner was first to alert me that my experience was rooted in the psoas. From this place near the center of the body, the pain moved throughout my entire left. Beginning where the psoas is attached near the lower ribs, down into the lower belly, hip flexor, low back, and extending down into my left foot. It also flared up into my left back, shoulder, and neck. Extensive to the point of waking up every morning curled up in fetal position with no desire to move.

I would pry myself open, hot tub/hot shower to better unfurl, and drag myself to yoga. Even though the yoga practice was uncomfortable, it opened my body up further to better get through the workday.

To this mysterious issue, I lost some prime time. No doctor nor practitioner could pinpoint what was going on.

With a hint from a friend at my yoga studio, I narrowed a lot down to adrenal fatigue. Later my M.D. / Functional Medicine Doctor determined I was correct.

To reconcile, I scaled my entire life back. I left the wine business I had begrudgingly gone back to after the Recession of 2008 in favor of more supportive and positive environments. Not the best time for a career change, but part of the root of this issue was being forced back into work that no longer inspired me. I also had to step far outside of the realm of Western medicine to skyrocket the healing process. Another story.

In this particular instance, my face broke out in an incessant rash. I had been soaking up sunshine trail running in Marin County, California during a big year for poison oak growth. I had never before contracted poison ivy or poison oak despite growing up around it. But it was in abundance that year according to the locals. So when I felt the tingle on my chest and two nurse friends labeled it poison oak, I grabbed all of the recommended remedies. 

When I realized it had subsided but wasn't fully leaving me, a doctor friend said it could be any number of ailments that often go undiagnosed.

It began on my chest spreading up my neck, face, and forehead, up to my hairline. Blistery. Itchy. Hot.

It went on for weeks, then months. According to doctors, it was no longer poison oak after a few weeks in the system, even if that was what had originally inspired it.

I traveled north to Oregon where the temperature shot up to over 100 degrees adding to the irritation. I took to icing it constantly seeking relief.

By month five, I had seen three different doctors who all put me on different medications without a true diagnosis. None of their guesses at remedies healed the issue. One of the medications was an intense steroid that, just like the doc warned, made me feel crazy.

The dermatologist I consulted once back home said, 

“Well, we think this is related to rosacea, and in this mountain town we see this a lot, most often in women your age.”

But he didn’t seem too concerned about why it is so common. Nor why he saw it primarily in women my age.

Turns out, this common skin agitation is directly related to stress. Thankfully, by the time I saw him, I had already been on the self-healing path for weeks.

My conclusion finally came when I became honest with myself about the fact that my nervous system was triggered like crazy from past events. Trauma. Old trauma reactivated by a situation that I knew, logically, could not be reoccurring, but my body was trying to tell me otherwise. The good old “fight or flight” response reactivated because our bodies naturally want to protect us from harm.

On the surface, I was having the best time of my life. But underneath it all, I was severely stressed, worried, and unsure. Once back home, I took to my yoga mat. I took to meditation. I cleaned up my diet to be sure nothing there was the cause. I took to copious amounts of self-care. 

I put a microscope on what was going on. I rested. 

I spent time laying horizontal and breathing deeply into the base of my belly every day resetting the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing my system to realign.

This was very similar to the processes I employed to rectify my fatigued adrenal glands.

Simple. No pranayama. No fancy breathing practice (derived from pranayama) touted by who’s who. Don’t get me wrong, I back many of these breathing techniques 100%. And initially used the 4-7-8 breath offered by Dr. Andrew Weil to begin this healing process. But eventually, I employed deep breathing all the way to the base of the belly expanding in all directions, slow and sure, for as long as I could make time for, every morning and every night.

Simple. Simple. Simple.

This placing attention on the issue, placing more attention on the breath, clean nutrition, hydration, and self-care, is what it took to resolve the rash.

This, unlike the expensive medications, did not cost a dime.

During stressful times since, I’ve felt a definitive twitch under the skin. And listened.

Every time, using the same simple technique, the tingle has disappeared instead of rearing its ugly head.

When we have not fully resolved past trauma and past stressors, the body holds on to them.

I promise, whatever is going on, no matter how much kale you eat and no matter how much you exercise, any issue we have rooted in the emotional realm might just eventually manifest in the body. It may also manifest in our relationships, our current habits that we cannot kick, our work, and our financial realms. Everything is connected. 

The amount of unidentified "dis-ease" out there is rising exponentially. But it is exactly that. Dis-Ease. And so much of it is derived from stress.

My prescription is to clean up the basics, breathe, relax, reset, find gratitude in the smallest of life's pleasures.

Ultimately, this is a call to move from leading with the head to leading with the heart.

Listen to your body, friends.

The body does not lie.

If this hits home, message me today.

Interested in similar stories?

The documentary, HEAL is a great place to start.

We all have beautiful lives awaiting us. Truly our birthright.

Calling All Soul Rebels

Living in the lands of the free and the brave
Living like no one is watching
Living like there is no tomorrow
Living wild and free 
Tried and true
Ride or die
Independent
Interdependent
Self-responsible 
Radically responsible
Conscious
Conscious of the collective
Far from perfect
Loyal AF 
Navigating unique lanes
Paths less taken
Freedom fighters
Eyes on the prize
Fending off confinement
Fending off judgment
Breathing deep
Creating opportunity
Cultivating co-opetition
Leveling up
Raising the collective
No one above
No one below
Calling all soul rebels

Musings.

Photo: International Women’s Day 2017

 

  

Set Me Free

More and more people are “waking up”. 

What does this even mean?

People are realizing they don’t exactly feel free in their own lives. While this is our birthright, managing the realities of life in these hectic modern times makes freedom feels more elusive than ever.

What a racket.

We followed the rules.

But damn if we are still not quite where we want to be. Where we were told we would be by gaining a good education, obtaining a secure job, marrying, having children, serving our communities, along with other more traditional ways of being.

Today, we are simply living in a different era. In the 1900’s, we moved from the Industrial Age to the Information Age. Now we are moving into what is more of a multisensory age or holographic era.

There are many terms coming into fruition for this “age” depending on where you choose to search. But as a holistic health practitioner, we see plenty of people moving from holistic, referencing the whole, to experiences that appear to be multi-dimensional. Stemming from the Information Age, moving at the speed of light, we will see what the future holds. For now, with so much coming at us from every direction, there is no way humans are not evolving in order to cope, for better or for worse.

This might sound a little out there. But times are changing at an ever-increasing rate. We are all being encouraged to become a lot more open to possibility, new ways of thinking, and fast-paced change, yes? Larger government and corporate structures are not keeping pace for the people, so we must become fast and light in order to move with the times. Releasing attachments to essentially all forms of security and stability is becoming not only a way to survive, but also an avenue toward living in flow with whatever is happening around us. This is how we set ourselves free.

Simplified, we find freedom in two realms.

Outer:

            • of this world, physical, material

            • homes, cars, financials, environments

            • anything we can touch and feel in everyday life

Inner:

            • the endless chatter in our minds

            • to do lists, keeping up with the Jones’, judgments, projections, blaming, etc. of ourselves and others

            • thoughts that lead to feelings, beliefs and actions that do not serve personal/professional relations

In order to be set free, we must drop current identities in some ways to allow for the next chapter to unfold. Tapping into our truths allows us to begin.

Tapping into our individual truths, we figure out what we love. Maybe we thought we knew, but often we realize something new! We discover what works for us and only us – whether that is how to re-create a career or trust the process that is true and unique to a loved one. We learn what lights us up. We ask ourselves questions. We ask other people questions. With this self-awareness, we soon understand how to stay in our own lanes and trust that everyone around us is doing the best they can. We then learn how to better relate to others. Tool and techniques to drop out of our heads and into our hearts are key. Simplified, but this is the way to set ourselves free. 

Ask me how to start this process. 

This inner freedom translates to outer freedom and vice versa. When our minds are “right”, we better create the outer worlds we desire. This, in turn, lends to supporting our inner worlds and creating more freedom. 

We have all heard the adage, “if there is one thing that is constant it is change”. In this new multi-dimensional era, it is now fast-paced change. The cool thing about this is that when we are committed to making our own shifts, they can happen quickly, too.

Tapping into tools and techniques that we can apply to each day is one way to find and/or hang on to our freedom. Ironically, we must release identities, attachments, and control – a similar hanging on – to be set free. Truly a delicate balance.

There is no one way to do it. There is no right way to do it. There is no race or competition or deadline. Other than that it is becoming very clear that we are running out of time. Let’s set one another free.

In the words of the Ram Dass, “You wake up at the rate you wake up.” 

We start where we are. Let’s start today.

How Well Do You Know Your Water?

How well do you know your water?

As a health coach, the first items we put our eyes on are nutrition and exercise.

Quality and quantity of food and water plus movement. These are the basics.

Three of our biggest health issues in First World countries are:

~ Chronic dehydration

~ Inflammation

~ Acidity in the body (cancer cells grow well in acidic environments)

As a *holistic* health coach, we inspect all realms of life because the psychology behind why it’s challenging for many to make initial changes to nutrition and exercise habits, or a financial situation, is almost always connected to deeper unresolved issues.

For those of you who know me, you know that health and well-being is one of the primary fabrics of my life. As a lifelong athlete, competitive gymnast turned outdoor-adventuring athlete, I'm all about the get-outside-and-go. As a wellness obsessed turned holistic health professional and yoga teacher, I support people personally and professionally toward extraordinary health and well-being.

The quality of water we drink is crucial to our health. 

Yes, for those of us who live in a country with tap water available at the turn of a handle, we are LUCKY. We are fortunate. But why not uplevel ourselves individually so that we are thinking and acting with more clarity to come together to make something such as quality water possible for more people globally? 

When we live in heightened states of well-being, it’s far more possible to create positive change for ourselves rippling out creating positive change for many.

Not all water is equal.

Most of the water we drink today is contaminated by medications, fluoride, chlorine, heavy metals and copious amounts of chemicals. These toxic materials flood our environments from different directions, including from an ever-increasing number of petrochemical plants.

Water filters on the market often strip the water of minerals and mold is common, an awful thought for those with mold and mildew allergies and sensitivities.

Not to mention that our skin is our largest organ. Anything that coats the epidermis is absorbed into the body. 

Bottled water? Bottled anything? Plastic. Plastic. Plastic. Plastic bleeds into the water we drink, not to mention being a complete environmental disaster. Consider your lotions, potions, and water. 

With a couple decades of paying close attention, I believe I am doing right by my current quality of water intake and even the water I am bathing in - the most amazing, healing water available.

This water also allows us to cut down on hair products (always bottled in plastics), cleansers (more chemical and plastic pollution), and my pooch has proven to prefer better water, too.

Animals are far more intuitive than we are. Plus, they are driven by their sense of smell. Most will choose drinking water free of medications, fluoride, chlorine, heavy metals, and chemicals.

I did a few taste tests with our 95-pound Swiss Shephard, even switching bowls, to be sure.

At a young 47 years old in the fall of 2017, I completed full medical workups. My M.D. who is also a Functional Medicine Doctor found not a thing wrong with me since curing myself of most allergy issues, exercise-induced asthma, adrenal fatigue, and skin rashes through lifestyle shifts.

Yet I was still constantly thirsty.

I researched water like crazy while living in Los Angeles given that antidepressants are well-known to be present in the tap water. But nothing I tried made a difference in quenching my thirst.

I drank so much water, accompanied by endless visits to the ladies room, thus assuming I was hydrated. I chalked it all up to being a hyperactive athlete living in dryer climates.

But now, I am no longer thirsty because of the quality of water I’ve been consuming over the last few months. Problem solved.

This water: 

Hydrates the body 6 times faster than tap or bottled water

Neutralizes acidity (pH levels) in the body

Anti-aging given daily intake of its high levels of anti-oxidants

Improves digestion AND sleep

Kills 99% of bacteria and germs, chemical-free

Reduces oxidation (aging), reduces inflammation

Plus - 100’s of extra uses from cleaning vegetables to facial toner to cleaning our homes.

I use a certified medical-grade device used in over 400 Japanese hospitals. Many lodges and restaurants are now also employing this health technology making their food and water taste better while making good health happen. Two birds with one stone - working smart.

In a couple of months, my mystery hydration issue has at long last been resolved.

My skin is showing a little more glow even in the coldest and driest of climates - Wyoming Winters.

I can’t wait to see further results come spring. Hoping to shed a few years by then. (Wink Wink)

Questions? Book a call to learn more.

Water is Life III

As a life long outdoor adventurer, I continually zoom in further on the environment and our intimate connections with the elements - earth, air, fire, water.

But the microscope must also be able to zoom out to see and understand the scope of the big picture. Everything is connected. 

When we begin to pay attention to the details of our lives, breathing deep into the unfamiliar cavities of our physical, mental and emotional realms, we can begin to see that the veil is thin and all realms of our health and well-being are inextricably linked.

This third installment of Water is Life focuses on freedom. 

The people living in Cancer Alley deserve freedom from what they are experiencing. The people living at Standing Rock deserve the same freedom. The people now fighting for their clean waters and clean lands in Canada deserve their freedom, too. 

This is our birthright.

No human should have clean air, clean water, clean soil, or clean food stripped from life. When these basic elements are threatened, we are deprived of our physical, mental and emotional freedom. Without these basics components being clean, it is impossible to have strong capable bodies, clear minds, and thoroughly processed emotions. All of these elements are connected. This is holistic health.

Why Water?

Water is a reoccurring theme. It keeps reappearing, so I keep paying attention. In seeking solutions to solve problems, I had to return to the water to become whole again. With this learning, I returned to myself. Without returning to the self, we are unable to support and serve others.

The great outdoors became my passion once I escaped the hot, humid, inland, muggy, buggy lands of South Louisiana. I loved the ocean when we were lucky enough to make an annual trip to the Gulf or Atlantic coasts of Florida. But where I grew up there was no ocean in sight. We once tried to go directly south to the Louisiana coast. As kids, much to our dismay, there were no squeaky-clean white sandy beaches with beautiful blue-green ocean waters.

Hardly. The nature of the mouth of the Mississippi River, laden with chemical plants, does not offer clean air, water or soil.

Moving to Wyoming opened my eyes to the pristine beauty that exists in lesser known parts of my own country. Living, breathing and experiencing other lands and cultures on an intimate basis has allowed new-to-me elements to become permanently woven into my physical and psychological fabric. A trip is a super introduction. Living in different places long term allows for integration.

Living at the ocean in Southern California, I tapped into a more familiar realm. Reclaiming the feminine left behind in the alpha-driven mountains was something I had no idea I needed. When the masculine was the driver to make things happen, achieve, succeed, and survive for so long, the feminine was all but forgotten. 

This constant lean into the masculine eventually wreaked havoc on my personal health and well being. The ocean, over time, taught me something I had never deeply learned in the first place - to receive. That one is still a challenge as a self-made individual. Sometimes I still have to force myself to receive a compliment or any gift, and say thank you with zero guilt. 

The ocean also retaught me to embrace trusting my intuition as I did at 22. Trust my gut. Trust the “knowing” of my right-brain dominant, creative, intuitive, and expressive self. While smashed in today's left-brain dominant modern society, she occasionally peeked her head above ground moving me to where I needed to be with all the ease and grace she could muster. Our world is thankfully now beginning to see the itsy bitsy tiny beginnings of reclaiming the feminine. I cannot wait to see what happens as 2019 continues to unfold.

Physical Realm

We have nothing without what Mother Earth naturally provides. Organic goodness, rich in the exact medicines we need, both internally and externally.

As we love our birthplaces and remain grateful for all they gave to us, home is now multiple places. With this experience, we gain greater understanding of the contrast, the pluses, the minuses, and begin to further embrace that there is no one "right" way. With this beginner mindset in place, we become more open, we learn, we thrive.

Tapping into different physical realms gave way to tapping into deeper emotional realms.

Emotional Realm

While I love where I was born, I felt suffocated by way too many expectations regarding how to BE. I felt oppressed by societal norms. I was judged and now twice disowned for not following most of the rules and regs. I couldn’t breathe within the suffocating confines of religion. I did not agree with the constant criticism of others. I could not stand the blatant patriarchal ways that continue to dominate within work and life. As a female, I was asked to be quiet, be good, behave, be nice, set good examples, smile, and obey. Oh wait… Don’t disappear, but don’t shine too bright either. Beyond confused by constant contradictions offered as to how to be seen and heard, it's a wonder any of us made our own way in the world. And, respect. How the f*ck to kindly ask for, much less command, some respect? Without being labeled as “crazy” or a “total bitch”. Yep, we’ve all heard it all. 

This truly insane conditioning lives deep in our bones and deep in our cells. It is ancestral. Generations of living in submission, lowering our voices, behaving as expected, following the rules. 

Don't forget to smile. 

Patterns

Patterns create pathways. Within our minds, actual neural pathways. 

These patterns guide our thoughts. 

Thoughts trigger our choices.

…which trigger our behaviors

…which trigger our experiences

…which release emotional responses

Emotional responses that we become addicted to whether positive or negative.

Another way of creating an understanding of this phenomenon is rooted in the psychology of yoga.

Samskaras. Subtle impressions of past actions. 

The intention behind these actions that we perform with full awareness are the ones that make the greatest impressions on our minds. 

It is the intention behind that action that gives power to that action. 

Essentially, samskaras are the impression or impact of the action we take with full awareness of its goals. Each time we repeat the action, it leaves an impression in our minds. With repetition of the action, the impression becomes stronger until the action becomes a habit. Once a habit, it is not something you remain consciously aware of as it is now a pattern, a new neural pathway created within the mind. You no longer have to set an intention or goal around it. It's now a part of your being, part of what you do, part of who you are.

When "habit patterns" become so ingrained that our body chemistry is altered, they are called "addictions" - positive or negative. At this point, we have no recollection of the beginnings of the patterns. Our mental world is fully under the influence of these impressions on our mind, inextricably woven into our personalities and how we perceive the world.

Positive or negative, we humans move towards what is familiar, what is ingrained, those old familiar patterns, what we were raised with rather than something that is new and unknown.

SO...

Mental Realm

If we want to create a future that’s different from what already exists, we have to step into the unknown. We must try something new. We must shift and change our thoughts.

We have 70,000 thoughts every single day and 90% of them are the exact same thoughts we had the day prior.

So how do we change our thoughts?

We find new ways to pay attention to our thoughts.

We slow down.

We pay attention to the breath .

We link breath with movement.

We stop. We sit still.

We unplug.

We pay attention.

We notice.

We notice the thoughts.

We notice whether a thought is positive or negative.

We shift the thought toward positive.

Over and over.

A practice.

A practice that can be practiced any time, anywhere.

Practice and all is coming. - Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

In doing this, we are creating a brand new feedback loop.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s quite a process. 

It can take time.

But with commitment and absolute consistency, transformation happens. 

Sometimes with the pleasant surprise of rapid evolution.

Fighting for folks to discover modalities to train their brains and find freedom is woven deep into my holistic health practices. There is no denying that everything is connected. Improving one realm of life more often than not improves most of the others.

No one - no one - is "successful" within all realms. We learn to take charge and take action. We also learn to be receptive and go with the flow. In this day and age, we have a lot to learn from the feminine, from water. Water is life.

Water is Life II

Water means many different things to many different people. Fisherman, travelers and surfers all have one thing in common. Water, holistically, is life. 

Life travels have taken me from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the deep snow of Wyoming mountains. Moving to the West Coast in 2008 to further personal and professional life, I landed in Venice, CA. As mentioned in the first installment of "Water is Life", I loved it. I still love it and return for work and play as much as possible. 

Tap Water

This is a first world country and we are immensely lucky to be provided with clean-er and easily accessible drinking water. Something we totally take for granted.

But have you investigated the tap water in major cities? Tap water was quite the topic in Los Angeles. My friends in my wellness and yoga communities, most being affluent and able, were borderline obsessed. And for good reasons. Anti-Depressants among other lovely ingredients are apparently on tap.

Yeah, yeah - like with anything these days, we can find both sides to any argument with Google.

But who is paying attention to how long term usage of what we perceive to be clean tap water, the tap water of 2018, will affect us? Around the world, coming from now chemical-laden lands, old pipes, and “treatment” to make it “consumable”, how much are we considering the true outcome of today's tap water? 

How many people in this great first world country of the United States are aware of the pH levels in our tap water? The pH levels in our own bodies?  The pH levels in the seemingly healthiest of humans? And the relationship between the two? 

I worked in the upper echelons of food and wine, serving those in the wealthiest and most well-educated counties of the nation. Guests would proudly state, night after night, that they preferred tap water from the local reservoir. To some degree this is great as most bottled water is proven to be no better, especially when bottled in plastic. But given their responses and reasoning, if this wealthy educated population is not informed, then how can the general public be informed? 

Consider that pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs are regulated, too. Yet how have they affected the well-being of the United States of America?

I’m no water pro, but as a holistic health coach, the first thing we put an eye on is food and water consumption. The quality of both matter. I’ve spent my fair share of time educating myself and others on these topics toward healthier lifestyles. This work is about shifting our minds and bodies for the better. This progression allows us to provide positive support of family, friends and teams on all levels.

I will never forget the color of my grandmother’s tap water in New Orleans. Yellow. Seriously. When we drew a bath, it was yellow. 

I don't know for sure what the correlation is between the diseases in my immediate family and grandparents and the water. But Cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and A.L.S. seems like too many major diseases for only eight people. A few variables to consider would be the food/water consumed, breast fed vs bottle fed, vaccinations, antibiotics, and swimming in ditches as kids with chemical plants located just around the corner. But I can certainly take a well-educated guess based on what scientists now offer today.

Yellow tap water. How is this any different from a Third World? Because it’s been treated - with what?! Yes, of course there are differences, between New Orleans and Haiti, but with population alone moving at an ever-increasing rate, where are we headed? I find it to be a bit of a concern given decades gone by. Populations exploding, over-consumption of everything, doctors doling out anti-depressants like candy... we are still asking…  where are we heading?

Too Close To Home

In May 2018, I found myself back in Louisiana due to loss of my sibling to A.L.S. In speaking with my childhood babysitters, they anxiously shared information about not only the well-known increase of cancer cases in Cancer Alley, but even another case of A.L.S., also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, within blocks of where we grew up. Hearing this at the services for my sister was too much. It led me into a tailspin again eventually leading to this writing. 

Again, I dove into research, trying to pin down how to create awareness around such outrageous happenings. Overwhelmed, I again set it aside. Yet today, I've reopened this vault and remain open to ideas, opinions, and teamwork as strength in numbers is everything.

This article, Cancer Alley: Big Industry, Big Problems highlights: “Clusters of poverty and sickness shadow America’s Industrial South”.

Shouldn’t we have heard a lot more about this by now?

Admittedly, I haven't lived in Louisiana since 1993. Perhaps it is a hot topic, but from what I can tell, it is swept under the rug much like the patriarchal tendencies. If you know differently, by all means reach out.

Had you heard of the depth of the poverty akin to a Third World country in the greater New Orleans area prior to Hurricane Katrina?

Yeah - maybe that's why we have heard so little...

The bottom image above is a vivid reminder of what I grew up breathing. Striking compared to the top image where I picked up and moved to in 1993, and where I reside part-time today. Clean air so sharp it shocked my lungs when I arrived. On the contrary… Chemicals. In the air. In the ground. In the water. Water that waters everything we ate. Water we swam in during hot humid summers. No escape. 

But hey - best sunsets in the world.

No matter whether your family comes from Uptown New Orleans or out in the 9th Ward, gritty Venice Beach of yesteryear or Beverly Hills, we are all consuming chemicals in immense quantities. The map below represents the realities of chemical plant emissions along the river from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Whoa.

Given what we are all facing, growing exponentially in the last two years with our oh-so-great, so-called leader of the free world straight up attacking our environment, what can we do?

Small, local steps are awesome. But is it enough? 

Will change happen quick enough? For your kids? For your nieces and nephews? For any of us? 

The time is now. It is up to us. 

Everything is up to us. 

It is actually so far past time that we take matters into our own hands. 

Yes. Creating change is a lot of commitment.

Not only for oneself, but for the impact that ripples out from ONE person deciding to commit to change.

What do you want to CHANGE? 

For yourself? Your family? Your team?

If you don’t change, what will it COST you?

What will it cost them?

NO-BRAINER pro-environment baby steps dating back a few decades…

Bring your own coffee mug to the coffee shop.

Bring your own grocery bags to the grocery.

Say no to plastics of all kinds.

Say no to styrofoam. (The South loves styrofoam - WHY?!)

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. 

Pick up trash you see on the freaking ground!

VOTE. Vote with your purchasing power. Every penny counts.

Water is life.

Soil is life.

Holistic health is our birthright.

I hope to meet more people interested in telling these stories that matter.